University of the Pacific student jazz quintet again named best college group

Brubeck Institute Jazz Quintet takes DownBeat Award for seventh time

May 5, 2014

University of the Pacific's Brubeck Institute Jazz Quintet continued its winning ways when it received top honors once again from a national jazz magazine.

DownBeat magazine in its 37th annual Student Music Awards poll named the Brubeck Institute Jazz Quintet the best in the category that covers undergraduate college small jazz combos. This is the seventh time in the Brubeck Institute's 13-year history that the group has been so honored. The Brubeck Fellows making up the winning group included Rane Roatta, tenor sax, of Miami, Fla.; Thomas Kelley, alto sax, of Canton, Conn.; Paul Bloom, piano, of Needham, Mass.; Adam Goldman, bass, of Pacific Palisades; and Malachi Whitson, drums, of Richmond.

"Over the past 13 years we have built a reputation of producing fine jazz musicians who work very hard under the tutelage of excellent jazz instructors and undergo a challenging performance schedule," said Simon Rowe, executive director of the Brubeck Institute. "We're seeing now - what with the string of DownBeat awards and the success of past-fellows as jazz artists - that the rigorous academic work and challenging performance schedule Brubeck Fellows undergo is working."

The Pacific musicians won the prize while competing against older musicians from more established jazz programs at universities around the country. The results are announced in the magazine's June edition.

The fellowship program provides a high level of instruction, an arduous performance schedule, and mentoring by local and national jazz talents.

About the Brubeck InstituteThe Brubeck Institute was established by University of the Pacific in 2000. Its mission is to build on Dave Brubeck's legacy and his lifelong dedication to music, creativity, education, and the advancement of important social issues including civil rights, environmental concerns, international relations and social justice. The Institute maintains five programs, including the Brubeck Collection, the Brubeck Fellowship, the Brubeck Festival, Summer Jazz Colony, and the Brubeck Outreach Program. More information: www.BrubeckInstitute.org.

About University of the PacificEstablished in 1851 as the first university in California, University of the Pacific prepares students for professional and personal success through rigorous academics, small classes, and a supportive and engaging culture. Widely recognized as one of the most beautiful private university campuses in the West, the Stockton campus offers more than 80 undergraduate majors in arts and sciences, music, business, education, engineering and computer science, and pharmacy and health sciences. The university's distinctive Northern California footprint also includes a campus in San Francisco, which is home to the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, and the McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento. For more information, visit www.pacific.edu.